Apparatus for bleaching fabrics and the like



April 27, 1965 R. R. KENREICH ETAL 3,180,037

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed May '7, 1962 fu/enZZ7rs1- jzz'chardfijifenra'clu ATaMIZ/NG PUMP Ill. IIL

United States Patent 3,180,037 APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Richard R. Kenreich and David D. Bing, St. Joseph, Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,809 6 Claims. (Cl. 34-37) for effecting a concurrent drying and bleaching of the fabric.

Thus, one of the principal features of this invention is the provision of a new and improved means for bleaching fabrics.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such apparatus including means for dispersing a fabric bleaching material in a vapor, atomized or droplet form into the heated air to be delivered to the fabric receiving section for concurrent drying and bleaching of the fabrics therein.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a fabric bleaching apparatus including pump means arranged to provide facilitated dispersion of a preselected quantity of such fabric bleaching material into the fabricdrying fluid to be delivered to the fabric receiving drum or container section.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a fabric bleaching apparatus cooperatively associated with the rota-ting drum means defining the fabric receiving section for automatic operation of the bleaching-material dispersing means.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a household fabric or clothes dryer having fabric bleaching means embodying the invention, portions of the dryer being broken away for clarity of illustration;-

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical elevation similar to that of FIGURE 2, but illustrating a modified form of the fabric bleaching means.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, as disclosed in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, a household clothes dryer generally designated is shown to comprise an external cabinet 11 within which is rotatably mounted a fabric receiving drum or container 12 selectively driven by a conventional electric motor 13 driving a belt 14 engaging the periphery 15 of the drum 12. A stream of drying fluid is passed through the chamber C defined by the drum for drying fabrics F such as clothes and the like placed within the drum. For this purpose, a conventional blower 16 is provided for drawing air from the chamber C of the drum 12 and exhausting it through a conventional vent (not shown). Air is delivered to the chamber C of the drum through a conventional upright duct 17 having an inlet 18 at its lower end and an outlet 19 at its upper end for delivering the air into the chamber C. Suitable means for heating the air passed through the duct 17 are provided, herein illustratively comprising an electric heating coil 20 disposed upper wall of the control panel. ranged to hold a preselected quantity of bleach solution 3,l89,037 Patented Apr. 27, 1965 "ice within the duct. However, it should be understood that other types of heat supply, such as gas burners, may be used.-

The above discussed apparatus is substantially conventional in well known household dryers of the art. The present invent-ion comprehends a cooperative association of the means for deliveringthe heated fabric-drying air to the drum and means generally designated 21 for introducing into the heated air a bleaching material for deposition of the material on the fabric for absorption by the fabric in the drum. More specifically, means 21 includes a container 22 defining a reservoir disposed within the upright control panel 23 at the upper rear portion of the cabinet 11, access to the container being provided by a door 24 selectively closing and opening 25 in the The reservoir is ar- 26. The bleach solution is delivered from the container 22 by means of a conduit 27 to a-conventional gear pump 28 which is driven by a driver roller 29 engaging the periphery 15 of the drum 12. The pump 28 pumps the bleach solution through a second conduit 30 to a supply nozzle 31 disposed in the outlet 19. of the duct 17 for dispersion of the bleach solution in the stream of heated air passing therethrough into drum chamber C.

In this illustrated embodiment the fine spray of bleach solution carried by the heated air into the drum chamber C is substantially immediately deposited on the clothes fabrics F therein for absorption thereby, thus substantially immediately initiating the bleaching operation. The relatively high temperature of the heated air carry-ing the spray further activates the bleach so as to initiate substantially immediately a decomposition thereof effecting the bleaching of the fabrics. Treatment of fabrics by various bleaching agents, such as oxygen bleaches, for example, are preferably carried out at temperatures above F. with damp fabrics since these higher temperatures may assist in expediting chemical reactions of the bleaching agent with the fabrics such as releasing oxygen from perborate bleaches, for example, while the moisture within such damp fabrics promotes more uniform migration and absorption by capillary action of the bleaching material deposited on the fabrics. The rotation of the drum conventionally provided by the motor 13 automatically continues the delivery of the bleach by the maintained operation of the pump 28 to deliver the preselected quantity of bleach from the container 22 into the dryer chamber C, thereby effecting the desired full bleaching of the fabrics.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURE 3 a modified form of apparatus 121 for introducing the bleaching material into the air stream is shown to comprise a conventional atomizing pump 128 for pumping the fabrictreating solution from a container 122 through a nozzle 131 opening into the duct outlet 19. The pump 128 herein is arranged to be operated independently of the drum 12 by suitable means (not shown) so that, if desired, operation of the pump may be effected during a pre-selected portion of the drying cycle. In all other respects, the apparatus of FIGURE 3 is similar to that shown in FIGURES l and 2.

The invention permits the use of oxygen-containing bleaches providing facilitated and improved bleaching of the fabrics. One example of such an oxygen-containing bleach providing excellent bleaching action is H 0 While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are lows:

preselected movement; means, for providing hot air;

means defining a flow passagehaving an outlet opening through said inner surfaceof said wall into said chamdefined as m1- j p bet and connected to said'hot air providing means for delivering hot air to said chamber; and means-for dispersing a fabric treating. material into said hot air in saidflow passage substantial-1y at said surface to elfec't a 'concurrent drying and treatment offabrics in said chamber.

.2.The fabrictreating apparatus of claim-I wherein the dispersing means is arranged: to disperse a-=thermally imaterial is an oxygen-containing bleach and said hot a'ir 7 providing means is arranged to-providthe air at a tempcrature at which-the bleach'substantiallyimmediately breaks down to forrrroxygem' a 4. In a fabric treating apparatus; 'a drum defininga' fabricreceiving chamber; a fixed wall having an inner surface defining one end of said chamberpmeans for moving said drum relative'to said jwall; means for providing hot airimeans defining a flowypassagehaving an outlet opening through said inner surface of said fixed wall into said chamber and connected to said hotair 3 providing means for delivering hot air to said chamber;

and means for dispersing a fabric treating material into said hot air in said flow passage substantially at said surface to effect a concurrent drying and treatmentof fabrics in said chamber.

5. The fabric treating apparatus of claim 4 wherein the dispersing means includes pump means and means driven by the moving drum for operating the pumpmeans.

6. The fabric treating apparatus .of clairn 4 wherein the dispersing means is arranged ;to inject an oxygen bleach in atomized form into said hot air substantially at said surface.

References Cited by the Examiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,406,494 8/46 Ferris"; 34' 36-X 2,812,593 -1'1/57 OIthuis, ;34133 X 2,846,776 8/58. Clark t 34 133 X 2,859,155 11/58 Gichelli. I 7 2,873,539 2/59 Morey 1 a 34-133 2,958;954- 11/60 Longenecker 34- 133. X 3,022,580 2/62 'Doty '34- 60 3,043,478 7/62 Adams "6817 X Y V FOREIGN PATENTS 236,001 {5/ 45 Switzerland.

0 Y NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary'Examiner. 

1. IN A FABRIC TREATING APPARATUS: MEANS DEFINING A FABRIC RECEIVING CHAMBER HAVING A WALL HAVING AN INNER SURFACE; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CHAMBER MEANS IN A PRESELECTED MOVEMENT; MEANS FOR PROVIDING HOT AIR; MEANS DEFINING FLOW PASSAGE HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING THROUGH SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID WALL INTO SAID CHAMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID HOT AIR PROVIDING MEANS FOR DELIVERING HOT AIR TO SAID CHAMBER; AND MEANS FOR DISPERSING A FABRIC TREATING MATERIAL INTO SAID HOT AIR IN SAID FLOW PASSAGE SUBSTANTIALLY AT SAID SURFACE TO EFFECT A CONCURRENT DRYING AND TREATMENT OF FABRICS IN SAID CHAMBER. 